The present invention relates to a print order receiving system and a method for receiving an order for image printing, both being for receiving an order for the service of supplying the printed matter of an image obtained by imaging. In particular, the present invention relates to a print order receiving system and a method for receiving an order for image printing, both performing the reception of an order through a network.
Recently, a system capable of supplying a service from the imaging of an object to the printing of a result of the imaging at the same place, like, for example, a picture print supplying apparatus disclosed in Japanese Publication for Registered Utility Model No. 3014733 has become popular.
Moreover, in recent years, a system for imaging and printing not only a static image but also a motion picture or a parallax image has been developed. Thereby, printed matter in which a viewed image can be changed in accordance with the changes of a viewing direction can be obtained.
As an example of the development of such business, business for making a parallax image picture as printed matter by utilizing a lenticular technique exists. For example, the following can be cited.
(1) xe2x80x9cTorikkiri Konika 3D(copyright)xe2x80x9d being a film with a three-eye type lens by Konica Corporation and the printing service thereof.
(2) xe2x80x9cKodak Snap Kids 3D(copyright)xe2x80x9d being a film with a three-eye type lens by Eastman Kodak Company and the printing service thereof.
(3) xe2x80x9cMotion Image Print (MIP) Cardxe2x80x9d, which was developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and synthesizes 6 sheets of images, and a apparatus for making the card, xe2x80x9cUgoitaro(copyright)xe2x80x9d.
(4) A service by Chikyuya Co., Ltd. that receives an order of a card to be made with the aforesaid xe2x80x9cUgoitaro(copyright)xe2x80x9d through the so-called Internet.
(5) A sale of an amusement apparatus for business use after receiving an order by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., which is a vending machine of a motion picture card supplying sequence pictures made by imaging an object as a card in which the object can be viewed as if it moves according to angles of viewing.
Moreover, as a similar system, there is a technique for making printed matter by utilizing a holography technique. For example, the techniques disclosed in the following documents can be cited as such a technique.
(6) Akira Shirakura, Nobuhiro Kibara and Shigeyuki Baba, xe2x80x9cInstant Holographic Portrait Printing Systemxe2x80x9d, Proceeding of SPIE, Vol. 3293, pp. 246-253, January 1998.
(7) Kihara, Shirokura, Baba, xe2x80x9cHigh Speed Hologram Portrait Printing Systemxe2x80x9d, Three-Dimensional Image Conference 1998, July in 1998.
These documents disclose systems for supplying a service from the imaging of an object to the printing of a result of the imaging at the same place.
A user, who wish to use the aforesaid system or a system providing a service including steps starting from the imaging of an object to the printing of a result of the imaging at the same place, still have to go to a place where such system is operated for imaging and obtaining the printed matter thereof. Furthermore, in such systems, there is no means for obtaining additional copy of printed matter in the future.
For such reasons, the user may feel inconvenience to use the system, and the other convenient features provided by the systems may not appeal to the user anymore.
However, in order to increase the sales volume of such systems, it is necessary to increase the number of business operation sites. Moreover, there is also the following problem. When the number of operation sites in the systems has been increased more, the initial cost to be invested to start the business increases further. Accordingly, it may take a longer period of time to collect cost of the systems if the number of users per a unit period are not enough and if the operation efficiency of the systems is not kept in a higher level. Since the system for printing a motion picture and a parallax image is at their developing stages, the cost of the apparatus in the system is very high and the necessity of evading the aforesaid problems is very important.
The present invention was made under consideration of above-cited conditions. It is desired to provide a system for receiving an order of printing an image and a method for receiving an order of printing an image, both being capable of providing both of a user and an business operator with superior facilities, which enable the user to reorder printed matter based on the imaging data previously obtained and enable the business operator to increase the operation efficiency of the system.
A print order receiving system according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a plurality of imaging apparatus for imaging an object; a first order receiving apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a first network, the first order receiving apparatus receiving an order of a print output at captured image data obtained through the imaging of the object, the imaging being performed by each of the plural imaging apparatus; an image storing apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the image storing apparatus storing image data including the captured image data supplied from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; a first print out apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the first print out apparatus printing the image data including at least the captured image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the first network to output initial printed matter; and a shipping terminal connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the shipping terminal executing shipping processing of the initial printed matter in correspondence with each captured image data.
When this print order receiving system according to the embodiment of the invention receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus with the first order receiving apparatus, the system stores the captured image data in the image storing apparatus through the first network; the system then prints the image data including at least the captured image data with the first print out apparatus to generate the initial printed matter; and then the system ships the initial printed matter to deliver the initial printed matter to a user.
Moreover, a method for receiving an order for image printing according to an embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of: imaging objects by a plurality of imaging apparatus; receiving an order of a print output by a first order receiving apparatus, connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a first network, at captured image data obtained by the imaging of the object, the imaging being performed by each of the plural imaging apparatus; storing image data including the captured image data supplied from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network by an image storing apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; printing the image data including at least the captured image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the first network to output initial printed matter by a first print out apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; and shipping the initial printed matter in correspondence with the captured image data by a shipping terminal connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network.
When this method for receiving an order for image printing according to the embodiment of the invention receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus with the first order receiving apparatus, in the method, the captured image data is stored in the image storing apparatus through the first network; then the image data including at least the captured image data is printed by the first print out apparatus to generate the initial printed matter; and then the initial printed matter is shipped to deliver the initial printed matter to a user.
Moreover, a print order receiving system according to an embodiment of the invention comprises: a plurality of imaging apparatus for imaging an object; a second order receiving apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a first network, the second order receiving apparatus being supplied with captured image data obtained by imaging of the object by each of the plural imaging apparatus from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the second order receiving apparatus receiving an order of a print output of each of the captured image data, the second order receiving apparatus temporarily stores the captured image data at each order; an image storing apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through a second network that is different from the first network, the image storing apparatus storing image data including the captured image data supplied from the second order receiving apparatus through the second network; a first order receiving apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network, the first order receiving apparatus receiving an order of the print output at captured image data temporarily stored in the second order receiving apparatus; a first print out apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network, the first print out apparatus printing the image data including at least the captured image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the second network to output initial printed matter; and a shipping terminal connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network, the shipping terminal executing shipping processing of the initial printed matter in correspondence with each captured image data.
When this print order receiving system according to the embodiment of the invention receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus with the second order receiving apparatus, the system stores the captured image data in the image storing apparatus through the second network; the system then prints the image data including at least the captured image data with the first print out apparatus to generate the initial printed matter after the system receives the order finally with the first order receiving apparatus; and then the system ships the initial printed matter to deliver the initial printed matter to a user.
Moreover, a method for receiving an order for image printing according to an embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of: imaging objects by a plurality of imaging apparatus; supplying captured image data from each of the plural imaging apparatus to a second order receiving apparatus through a first network, the captured image data having been obtained by imaging of the object by each of the plural imaging apparatus, the second order receiving apparatus being connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; receiving an order of a print output by the second order receiving apparatus at every captured image data; storing the captured image data temporarily at every order by the second order receiving apparatus; storing image data including the captured image data supplied from the second order receiving apparatus through a second network different from the first network by an image storing apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network; receiving an order of the print output at each of the captured image data temporarily stored in the second order receiving apparatus by a first order receiving apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network; printing the image data including at least the captured image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the second network to output initial printed matter by a first print out apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network; and shipping the initial printed matter in correspondence with each of the captured image data by a shipping terminal connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network.
When this method for receiving an order for image printing according to the embodiment of the invention receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus with the second order receiving apparatus, in the method, the captured image data is stored in the image storing apparatus through the second network; then the image data including at least the captured image data is printed by the first print out apparatus to generate the initial printed matter after the order is finally received with the first order receiving apparatus; and then the initial printed matter is shipped to deliver to a user.
Moreover, a print order receiving system according to an embodiment of the invention comprises: a plurality of imaging apparatus for imaging an object; a first order receiving apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a first network, the first order receiving apparatus receiving an order of a print output at captured image data obtained by imaging of the object, the imaging being performed by each of the plural imaging apparatus; an image storing apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the image storing apparatus storing image data including the captured image data supplied from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; and a first print out apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the first print out apparatus printing the captured image data supplied from the imaging apparatus through the first network and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the first network to output initial printed matter.
When this print order receiving system according to the embodiment of the invention receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus with the first order receiving apparatus, the system stores the captured image data in the image storing apparatus through the first network; the system then prints the captured image data supplied from the imaging apparatus and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus with the first print out apparatus to generate the initial printed matter; and then the initial printed matter is delivered to a user on the spot.
Moreover, a method for receiving an order for image printing according to an embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of: imaging objects by a plurality of imaging apparatus; receiving an order of a print output by a first order receiving apparatus, connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a first network, at captured image data obtained by imaging of the object, the imaging being performed by each of the plural imaging apparatus; storing image data including the captured image data supplied from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network by an image storing apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; and printing the captured image data supplied from the imaging apparatus through the first network and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the first network to output initial printed matter by a first print out apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network.
When this method for receiving an order for image printing according to the embodiment of the invention receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus with the first order receiving apparatus, in the method, the captured image data is stored in the image storing apparatus through the first network; then the captured image data supplied from the imaging apparatus and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus are printed by the first print out apparatus to generate the initial printed matter; and then the initial printed matter is delivered to a user on the spot.
Moreover, a print order receiving system according to an embodiment of the invention comprises: a plurality of imaging apparatus for imaging an object; a second order receiving apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a first network, the second order receiving apparatus being supplied with captured image data obtained by imaging of the object by the plural imaging apparatus from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the second order receiving apparatus receiving an order of a print output of each of the captured image data, the second order receiving apparatus temporarily stores the captured image data at each order; an image storing apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through a second network that is different from the first network, the image storing apparatus storing image data including the captured image data supplied from the second order receiving apparatus through the second network; a first order receiving apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the second network, the first order receiving apparatus receiving an order of the print output at every captured image data temporarily stored in the second order receiving apparatus; and a first print out apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the second network, the first print out apparatus printing the captured image data supplied from the imaging apparatus through the second network and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the second network to output initial printed matter.
This print order receiving system according to the embodiment of the invention prints the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus to generate the initial printed matter with first print out apparatus, and the system delivers the initial printed matter to a user on the spot. When the system receives an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data with the second order receiving apparatus, the system stores the image data including the captured image data in the image storing apparatus through the second network, and the system finally receives the order with the first order receiving apparatus.
Moreover, a method for receiving an order for image printing according to an embodiment of the invention comprises the steps of: imaging objects by a plurality of imaging apparatus; printing captured image data supplied from the imaging apparatus through a first network and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus through the first network to output initial printed matter by a first print out apparatus connected with the plural imaging apparatus through the first network; supplying captured image data from each of the plural imaging apparatus through the first network, the captured image data having been obtained by imaging of the object by each of the plural imaging apparatus; receiving an order of a print output by a second order receiving apparatus at every captured image data, the second order receiving apparatus being connected with the plural imaging apparatus through a second network that is different from the first network; storing the captured image data temporarily at every order by the second order receiving apparatus; storing image data including the captured image data supplied from the second order receiving apparatus through the first network by an image storing apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the first network; and receiving an order of the print output at each of the captured image data temporarily stored in the second order receiving apparatus by a first order receiving apparatus connected with the second order receiving apparatus through the first network.
In this method for receiving an order for image printing according to the embodiment of the invention, the captured image data obtained by the plural imaging apparatus and the image data supplied from the image storing apparatus are printed to generate the initial printed matter with first print out apparatus, and the initial printed matter is delivered to a user on the spot. Further in the method, when an order of the print output of the image data including at least the captured image data is received by the second order receiving apparatus, the image data including the captured image data is stored in the image storing apparatus through the second network, and the order is finally received by the first order receiving apparatus.